First Posted: 9/29/2014
Bo knows football.
We’re not talking about the late 80s football/baseball sports icon Bo Jackson. We’re talking about Bo Kreller, of Sweet Valley, creator of the Back Mountain Flag Football League (BMTFFL).
The BMTFFL was formed in 2000 when Kreller saw a need for a league with smaller rosters and six-on-six rules utilizing one lineman.
“I’ve played in other leagues with eight-on-eight rosters with linemen and full contact and people were getting injured,” Kreller said.
Seven teams signed up for the first fall league right out of the box and it grew from there.
“Guys desired to have a second league and, after the first year, we began a spring league,” Kreller said. Currently, the fall leagues carries 10 teams and this past spring’s league had a whopping 17 teams.
Games are played at 10 a.m. on Saturdays at the River of Life Fellowship Church grounds on Outlet Road, Lehman, where two games are played simultaneously side-by-side. Teams play two 30-minute halves. Kreller has connections with the church where his dad, Ken, is the pastor.
The fall league has a 10-week schedule with playoffs and a championship game at the end of the season. There is a $275 entry fee into the league per team that goes to league expenses and the rest goes as a donation to the church.
Although players in the league are competitive, friendships have developed over the year.
“Pretty much, all of the teams and the guys have become friendly and we’ve had over 1,000 guys come through over the years,” Kreller stated.
Many rosters are made of up former high school football stars, college and semi pro players.
“We even had a guy in our league that was a Seattle Seahawk team member,” Kreller added. “PJ Piskorick played quarterback on the Seahawks practice squad.”
Kreller, 43, a former Lake-Lehman School Board member and current business owner, is not only the creator of the league, but a participant, as well.
“I’m the oldest player in the league,” he admits. Going into this week’s action, he is currently the league’s passing touchdown leader.
He isn’t the only Kreller playing in the league as his 19-year-old son Shane is a teammate on the Guardians of the Gridiron squad. Shane is in the top 10 in receptions and touchdown receptions.
As a part of the United State Flag Football League, the BMTFFL can send a team to the national tournament.
“We haven’t sent a team to the tournament in a while, so I’d like to send one this year,” Keller added.
The championship game for the BMTFFL will be played on Nov. 22.
